Posted on 08/17/2025 8:28:27 AM PDT by lowbridge
Gov. Kathy Hochul has been quietly pardoning migrants with decades-old criminal histories — including at least one who killed another man.
The Dem governor recently granted the extreme act of clemency to 13 migrants, including Somchith Vatthanavong, a 52-year-old Laotian man who entered the US illegally and was convicted of manslaughter in 1990, the New York Times first reported.
Vatthanavong, who fled to the US after the Vietnam War, claimed to the outlet that he was defending himself during an altercation outside a pool hall when he fatally shot a man.
“They’ve paid their debt, and I’ll be damned if I let them be deported to a country where they don’t know a soul,” Hochul told the Times in defending her decision.
“And to those who would demonize them to score political points, I ask: Where is your compassion?”
A convict who is pardoned is freed from prison even if he has time left to serve. In these New York cases, since Vatthanayong and the other recipients were already released, it means they avoid other consequences for their crimes, such as being flagged for deportation. The pardon does not seal or expunge their records.
Hochul’s pardon rhetoric is a stark pivot from her repeated pledges to work with ICE and other federal authorities to deport criminal migrants.
-snip
Hochul said the migrants she pardoned include several lawful permanent US residents from Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and South Africa. It is not clear who besides Vatthanayong may have entered the US illegally.
The governor only revealed the pardons after the Times story ran Friday.
“After careful deliberation, I’m granting clemency to thirteen individuals who have demonstrated remorse for their actions and exemplify a commitment to bettering their communities,” Hochul wrote in the statement on the state’s web site.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The Democrat Party is the party of crime.
They don’t want to feed him-costs money. The money can be spent on social services. Governments always look for ways to increase spending where they can. This is one way.
As long as you're damned.
Damnably stupid and evil, and did I mention repulsively ugly? How does someone like that get elected?
It is a unique individual who can sneak into a country illegally, and it reveals even more about that individual sneakily living in a country illegally, when he procures a gun illegally to carry on himself, even when he is hitting the bars, and even kills someone with it.
This is why our ancestors didn’t want the broads voting.
She’s a cold cruel witch. She has no compassion for the victims.
There might be a quid pro quo happening here.
Hillaries crew must be on vacay.
How does one exactly pay the debt of killing another human being.
Disgusting perversion of justice.
New York City, that’s how.
Now, now. Otto Penn wasn’t a dame (as far as we know) and he pardoned people just as bad.
BullCrap! ICE can still find ways to strip their citizenship via naturalization, and deport their asses. I hope they get on this case and similar, and do it.
I never got the “debt to society” bit.
They should be off the street to primarily prevent them from more criminal actions and for larger deterrence among others, not simply for payback.
That said, it is possible that 35 years is enough for most crimes. Recidivism risk clearly drops with age.
Not sure granting clemency will magically make them immune from deportation if they're here illegally...but ok, lady.
“This is why our ancestors didn’t want the broads voting.”
By and large they have faulty social judgement, with too little justice. They are niceness and consensus oriented. Cutting too much slack to criminals.
The female forte is good family judgment, extended family too. They are the glue that holds them together. Producing babies, taking care of them and toddlers.
Wet-work assets.
“Not sure granting clemency will magically make them immune from deportation if they’re here illegally...but ok, lady.”
If ICE can get around to them, they will be deported. These vile criminals have not paid their debt to ICE.
I’m sure the family of the person who was shot is happy to know the governor’s value of their “debt”.
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